Cauliflower in bechamel sauce

Hello everyone hope you had a nice week, I am so happy it is weekend and don’t have to go out in the cold, icy and snowy weather. This means more time for me to cook as this is what I love doing most. This recipe is definitely a wintery one but very delicious. I find cauliflower quite difficult to cook alone without mixing it with other ingredients which in most of the cases hide the real flavour. On the contrary, in this specific recipe the cauliflower is put in the limelight and the flavour is beautifully enhanced by the creamy bechamel sauce and the nut meg. I think this recipe of cauliflower in bechamel sauce helps a lot re-evaluate the delicious taste of this “challenging” vegetable.

Serves: 4 People

Cooking Time: 45 min

To make this recipe you will need:

1 whole medium size Cauliflower

2 tablespoons of plain Flour

3 glasses of Milk

100 gr of Cheddar

2 tablespoons of Butter

Nutmeg

Fresh Parsley

Salt

Thyme

The preparation:

First of all, cut the cauliflower into small pieces and boil until tender.

Meanwhile take 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of butter and gently mix them together until completely incorporated with each other, then while whisking slowly add some drops of milk , after that, carefully add the other milk and continue mixing.

When you notice the sauce is thickening add about 50-60 gr of cheddar, salt and grate the Nut Meg and mix until the sauce is creamy and the cheese is completely melted.

Tip: The bechamel sauce is ready when you dip the spoon in the sauce and if you wipe with your finger in the back of it, the spoon stays clean.

Then when the cauliflower is cooked and the bechamel ready, place the cauliflower on a Pyrex then add the creamy bechamel, the grated cheddar, bread crumble and some parsley on the top.

Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes at 180C/gas mark 5 or until golden brown.

I really hope you will like this recipe, I think it is a very interesting way of cooking cauliflower because the bechamel sauce and the nut meg make a perfect combination of flavours. You can use it as a base for pasta or rice and it goes perfectly as a side dish with some roasted salmon.

This is one of my all time fave comfort foods. I often add Dijon mustard to ramp up the flavour even more. I have a pyrex dish just like yours…is this one of the worlds most universal kitchen accessories…along with the red lettered measuring jug?

Mmmmm yum yum!
My favourite cauliflower cheese served with plain thick noodles. I haven’t used nutmeg though. I always put a spoon of mustard in mine but I will definitely try your recipe. Any chance of home delivery 😉

Thank you so much Meredith for the nice words. I really hope your 2 year old will like it, please do give it a go because the cauliflower flavour blends really well with that of the bechamel creamy sauce and the result is geniunely sweet and smooth texture.
Best wishes,
Alice

In England the classic is Cauliflower Cheese – cauli in a bechamel flavoured with cheese. I add a little powdered English Mustard to the roux and then lots of nutmeg to the white sauce BEFORE adding the cheese. And then a generous layer of cheese on the top to bubble over the top of the unctuous underneath. It’s particuarly delicious with a rare roast beef so the red juices run into the rich cheesy bechamel. Four girls grew up on it 🙂

Thank you so much eternianetta for the nice comment. Please do let me know how it goes, I would love to hear from you the results. Hope cauliflower will taste much better after this. ☺
Best wishes,
Alice

About me

Colourful everyday food Blog at aalifemoment.com. I love cooking and discovering new interesting recipes about everyday, simple, healthy food and strongly believe that it is deeply related to creativity, positivity and inspiration making that experience of cooking a very special lifemoment.